Work experience is an unpaid placement with an employer, usually lasting a week. The young person carries out tasks in a similar way to an employee – the emphasis for the student is learning from the experience and developing skills and confidence. The placement usually takes place whilst students are still in education, usually year 10 (so the student is 14 or 15) or in Year 12 (so the student is 16 or 17). There are many benefits to providing a placement, both to your organisation and the young person.

For the Company:

• The student provides help with real tasks – many young people are highly IT competent and capable of admin/office tasks, project work and under supervision, can assist with manual and practical activities.
• Your employees can build on their supervisory and leadership skills, whilst sharing their knowledge and expertise with young people.
• The placement provides a real insight into your business – you get to understand how young people view your business and learn from them if your marketing messages are well received and understood.
• Give back to your local community.
• Promote a positive profile of your business to your employees of tomorrow.

For Students:

• Helps to build business-relevant skills.
• Enables creativity
• Helps them to understand the world of work and what employers expect of them.
• Gives students industry-relevant knowledge that may inspire their future career choices.

Services for Young People is working with the following schools to support their work experience programmes in 2022:

 

	Work Experience week commencing:
Townsend School – Year 10 (based in St Albans but many students live in Dacorum)	09/05/2022
Hemel Hempstead School – Year 10	23/05/2022
John F Kennedy School – Year 10	06/06/2022
Adeyfield Academy – Year 10	13/06/2022
Longdean School – Year 10	20/06/2022
St Albans Girls School (STAGS) – Year 10 (based in St Albans but many students live in Dacorum)	04/07/2022
Tring School – Year 12	11/07/2022
Kings Langley School – Year 10	18/07/2022

 

Can you help by providing an opportunity for a young person or can you run a programme to support several schools over different weeks?  You will be supported to set up the placement and agree appropriate activities and we will go through with you the Health and Safety to support the placement. Many organisations think Health and Safety prevents them from offering work experience placements – this is, thankfully, a myth! There is nothing additional you need to put in place to provide a placement – most organisations already have what is needed in place.

With Skills and Opportunities being at the forefront of Dacorum’s Economic Recovery Plan, what better time than now to start supporting your employees of tomorrow.

Published on: November 23, 2021